Torpedo-protective device for vessels.



R. NHTNER. TORPEDO PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR VESSELS. APPUCATION FILED MAY 2 5.1918.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

3 SHEETS SHEET 1.

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R. NlTTNER.

TORPEDO PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR VESSELS. MIUCAHON FILED MAY 25. 1918.

1,280,525. Patented O0t.1,1.)18.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. NITTNER. TORPEDO PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR VESSELS. APPLICATION HLED MAY 25. ms.

1,280,525, Patented Out. 1, 1918.

3 $HEETS--SHEET 3.

siding at New York, in the county RUDOLPH NITTNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOBPEDO-PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.-

Application filed May 25, 1918. Serial No. 236,486.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH Nrr'rnnn, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

f New Yorkjand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Torpedo-Protective Devices for Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus and method for protecting ships against torpedo attack by means of nets,'which are readily swung out from the sides of the ship and submerged when needed. and also readily withdrawn to an out of the way position.

It has also for its object the providing of a flexible and strong support for the netting, which support will meet the requirements put on an exposed construction of this kind.

It hasfor a further object the providing of one side of the netting, viz., the side facing the ship, with a number of plates. These plates, which may vary in form and shape, are free to swing in a practically horizontal plane, and the amount of swing will practically be 180 degrees as their motion is only arrested by the net itself. The flexible net steadied by these plates when the ship is in motion forms a strong and yet yielding construction, and will catch a torpedo and slow down its momentum without a shock. The very manner of securing the plates to the net will practically eliminate all racking due to the wave action, as the hinged plates will swing free of the waves on the wind side of the vessel. I

In the drawings- Figure l is a side elevation of a ship provided with the protecting apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the protected ship showing conditions at torpedo attack.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the protected ship showing the netting in submerged position on one side and in withdrawn position on the other.

Fig. i is a fragmentary detail of 'thenetting.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 show progressively the ensuing conditions at torpedo attack.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters designate COIIQSPOD(- ing parts, 1 designates the ship which is protected by means of the submergible nettin 2.

6' .the side of the netting the ship, a number of plates so as to allow them a free swing which faces 3 are hinged toward the ship. This swing will practically be 180 degrees as the motion is only arrested by the net itself.

Lower booms el are hinged between brackets on the Side of the ship. These booms are bent over at the top for a short distance and hinged to the arms 5.

The forward arm 5 is extended downward so as to form the support of the netting.

A cable 6 is suspended from the booms 4 and the netting is suspended from this cable by means of the'wires 7.

Top booms 8 are hinged to the deck of the ship and are also hinged to the arms 5. Hoistingdrums 9 electrically driven operate the cables 10, which cables are attached to the lower booms 4.

In Fig. 2 a torpedo 11 is shown caught in the netting.

Fig. 4 shows the netting in a submerged position on one side of the ship and also shows the position of the netting when not used on the other side.

How the winding up and paying out of the cables will get the netting in the desired position is self-explanatory. Consider the nets submerged and the ship as proceeding full speed ahead. The plates 3 will then lay flat against the sides of the net.

Consider now that a torpedo strikes the netting. The torpedo is first caught in the meshes and the net is carried with it. The net will then bulge in a manner as illustrated in Fig. .2. Y

The plates forward of the torpedo are then held fiat against the netting by the water pressure due to their inclined position to the forward motion of the ship, while the water pressure-Will swing the plates abaft of the torpedo clear of the netting.

The arising water pressure will then cause the plates just. forward of the torpedo to slip outward away from the ship through the water. This reaction will start immediately with the bulging of the net and will increase accordingly and the torpedo isthus gradually slowed down and swung away from the ship.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 explain progressively the ensuing conditions at a torpedo attack.

The dotted lineA-B in Fig. 8 indicates the path which the head of the torpedo has followed when the torpedo has been turning around to a position approximately parallel with the ship.

The line AB indicates also the distance in which the torpedo has been slowed down to a speed equal that of the ship.

Assume that the weight of the torpedo is 2000 lbs. and the speed of the torpedo when striking the net is 30 knots.

Assume the speed of the vessel to be 12 knots and the distance A-B to be 15 ft.

The speed of the torpedo is then slowed down from 30 knots to 12 knots or approximately 30 ft. pr. second, all in a distance of 15 ft.

If the torpedo was free to fall for a distance of 16 ft. it would attain a Velocity of 32 ft. per second, hence the force necessary to slow down the torpedo 30 ft. per second in a distance of 15 ft, equals 2000 lbs. or the weight of the torpedo.

The average speed of the torpedo when moving from A to B is approximately 35 ft. per second, and a pressure of about 7 lbs. per square inch of the plates 3 would arise when the plates are carried away against the water with such a speed.

Assume tWo plates to be carried away with the torpedo, each plate has have an area ofl50 sq. inch, which would mean semi-circular plates with a diameter of '18 inches.

The torpedo will not stop before its own engine gives out and will then sink harmless to the bottom.

The distance A-B can be so varied wit-h then to Lamaze the size of' the plates 3 that the slowing down of the torpedo will not cause its explosion. 4

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications; may be made in the features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus attachable to a ship a netting, means for suspending said netting in a flexible manner, a number of plates attached to the netting free to swing in a horizontal plane.

2. In an apparatus attachable to a ship a netting, means for suspending said. netting in a flexible manner, a number of plates attached to the netting, said plates free to swing in a horizontal plane and located on the side of the netting which faces the ship. RUDOLPH NITTN ER. Witnesses:

GUNNAR O. ENGSTRAND, FREDERICK W. QUIDAS. 

